Overview
- The match is scheduled for Friday 7 August with an 8pm BST kick-off at the Riverside and will be shown live on ITV1 and Sky Sports.
- Middlesbrough are the pre-match favourites in published odds and enter the tie after a busy transfer window that included the sale of Hayden Hackney to Everton.
- Boro have signed Will Lankshear, Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten this summer, moves that coverage says bolster their squad depth following Hackney’s departure.
- Wrexham have been quieter in the market, adding Ben Whiteman and Danny Imray, and they face selection doubts over Ben Sheaf and Josh Windass ahead of final squad confirmation.
- Bookmakers are promoting boosted markets for the game — including talkSPORT BET’s both-teams-to-score EVS offer — and preview writers have issued provisional line-ups and betting tips while urging readers to note these promotions are commercial and subject to change.